shaffner



T. P. SHAFFNER. GHARGING SHELLS,&G.

No. 60,567. Patented Deo. 18, 1866.

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IMPRGVEMENT IN OHARGING SHELLS, dro.

TALIAFERRO P. SHAFFN 0F LOUISVILLE, KEN TUGKY.

Letters Patent No. 60,567, dated .December 18, 1866.

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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCEBN:

Be it 4known that I, TALIAFEB'ILO P. SHAFFNER, oi' Louisville, in the county of Jeerson, andState of KenJ y, have made vnew and useful Improvements in Charge for Shells, Torpedoes, ic., which I tenu Shal'ner's shell; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clean, and exact description of the nature, construction, and operationof the same, sucient to enable one skilled in the art to which it appertains to construct and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are madepart of this specification, and in whchV Figure 1 is a central section of a shell, charged according to the plan herein described.

Figure 2 is a modification, which maintains the distinctive features of the former, but differs in some of the details'. v

This improved charge for shells, torpedoes, or mines consists of an explosive liquid, which I terni nitroleum, (and which will be hereafter described,) in combination with other explosive material or compound.

l-lf have adopted two modes of constructing the charge for shells, employing nitroleum, (known in chemistry vas nitroglycerine,) though both are similar iu principle. My first plan contemplates the use o f small vials, made of hard India rubber', or some equivalent substance, and when filled with nitroleum, to be surrounded with nitro or gun-cotton, in the interior of the shell. It would be well to cover each vial with gun-cotton before placing it in the shell, though they may be imbedded in the cotton,4 so as to prevent concussion that might break them. The object of the nitro-cotton is, in the first'place, to produce the iirst explosion, which will cause the nitroleum to explode on the breaking of the vials; and, in the secon'd place, the cotton will serve as a cushion, to prevent the vials from breakage by the concussion caused by the discharge of the shell from the mortar or cannon.

My second plan contemplates the placing of the nitroleum in one chamber, which may be made of metal,

hard or vulcanized India rubber, or of pure India-rubber bags, or other suitable material. Around the interior chamber of the shell I place elastic India rubber, cut so as to form cavities, appearing like a honey-comb, with holes connecting the cells, and the cells I fill with nitro-cotton, loosely packed. Powder would answer, though it would not be so advantageous as the cotton, as it would not keep equally distributed throughout the cellular parts. The object of the India rubber is to serve as a cushion, to prevent concussion upon the liquid. If nitroleum is subjected to a violent concussion itis liable to explode prematurely, or before it passes from the cannon.

The plans above described are intended to prevent the application of a force that would produce an explosion, contemplating the discharge of the contents of the shell only through the means of a percussion cap or a fuse.

In iig. 1, A is the shell and D the vials containing nitroleum; C is the gun-cotton or other explosive mates rial surrounding them and in contact with the fuse F, which passes through the fuse plug, B, to the outside, to be ignited on the discharge of the gun. The vials are not necessarily arranged in any particular order, and are introduced through the fuse-plug opening. l

Fig. 2 is another form of a shell, generally employed for rified cannon, and exploded by a percussion cap. A A represent the metal or walls of the shell; B B, the fuse opening; C, the vpercussion cap; D, the rearpiece, screwed to A A, or otherwise attached; vE E are the honey-combed India-rubber cushions; F F are the cellsV of the India-rubber cushion, filled with nitro-cotton; G G are the walls of the liquid chamber, made, for example, of hard or vulcanized India rubber; H H is the nitroleum, nitro-glycerine, or other explosive chem` ical compound.

The explosive liquid which I call nitroleum is obtained by the hereinafter described treatment of glycol-ine, which is an extract from oleaginous substances, having a specific gravity of about 1.27 at a temperature of 60 Fahrenheit, and having as its constituents carbon 40, hydrogen 9, and oxygen 51. The above treatment of thc glyoeriue consists in compounding it drop by drop with one part nitric acid and two parts sulphuric acid, properly cooled iu a freezing mixture, temperature 32 Fahrenheit.

The advantages of thismethod of charging are as follows: The fuse F ignites the explosive material C, such as nitro or gun-cotton, or gunpowder, which immediately passes throughout the cavity or charge chamber of the shell, &c., and breaks the vessels containing the nitroleum, producing combustion thereof'. A shell or grenade thus charged can, in ordinary artillery practice, contain more metal, and will be fractured with increased vforce, producing greater destruction than has been heretofore obtained by the use of gunp'owder. Large shells Vthus charged, thrown into a ship, .will be calculated with certainty to destroy it. Torpedoes thus charged will increase the cone of force upon the water, enlarging the area of destruction upon the surface, melting it greater than has heretofore been obtained by gunpowder. In its application to artillery, mining, demolition of forts, blasting, &c., the cone of the crater will be double at least that-attained by gunpowder. The instantaneous combustion of' the explosive parte, and their increased power over that of gunpowder, produce. the above more effective results.

Having described my invention, what I clairn therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. I claim the application of nitro-cotton, (known :isv guncotton,) for the purpose of serving as a cushion and en explosive substance in shells, torpedoes, 85o., wherein nitroleum, (in chemistry known as nitroglycerine,) or other explosive liquid compounds, is used as a. charge, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. I claim the application of India rubber as a cushion lining, for the purpose of lessening the concussion upon the nitroleum Aor other explosive liquid, substantially as hereinbefore describcd.

3. I claim the honey-combing of the Indie'rubber, with openings between the cells, for the purpose of perfecting the cushion, and for the object of hastening the spread of fire throughout the said honey-comb cushion lining, substantially as here-inbefore described. v TAL. P. SHAFFNER.

Witnesses:

ALEX. A. C. KLAUeKs,

EDWARD H. KNIGHT. 

